1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of automated panoramic camera systems and platforms including indexing mechanisms.
2. The Relevant Technology
Panoramic images can be created by an array of wide angle cameras that together create a 360 degree field of view or by one camera with a fish eye lens or other panoramic mirror that allows for a continuous “minor ball” image that is later flattened out by computer. These images are limited in their ability to provide detail necessary to be useful for video surveillance because the sensors are stretched over wide field of views (sometimes a full 360 degrees).
The best panoramic images are typically created by moving a single or multiple cameras manually through a controlled series of stops and downloading these images to a computer where software can be used to stitch them together to create the full 360 degree field of view. This is a cumbersome and time consuming process that has limited use, especially in the video surveillance industry where real time video is critical.
A relatively new means of capturing thermal panoramic images is by continuously spinning a cryogenically cooled thermal sensor or other high speed camera at less than 60 RPM and capturing the images from the camera with a computer where they are stitched together and analyzed. These cryogenically cooled sensors have the ability to capture images in just a few nano seconds and do not need to stop to catch a still image if spinning at less than 60 RPM, which allows them to produce near real time video. However, these cooled sensors are power hungry and expensive, making them impractical in many applications. In addition, the high speed cameras have a very large lighting requirement making them of very limited use in other than full daylight conditions.